Statement from Chair of the Housing Committee on the use of TfL land

06 February 2018

In response to the Mayor’s announcement to develop TfL’s largest site of land - the Limmo Peninsula in East London - Sian Berry AM, Chair of the Housing Committee, said:

“In June last year, the London Assembly Housing Committee report ‘Homes down the track’ [1] recommended that the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) make better use of public land to deliver more homes in London. However, even this announcement is unlikely to ease the problems in the short term.

The fact that only 40 per cent of the homes proposed today will be affordable is sadly unambitious – this is public land and the Mayor’s own target is actually 50 per cent affordable.

We urge him to re-read the recommendations in our report, which include:

The Mayor needs to work with the boroughs and TfL to align development objectives for each site, and stick to them, to reduce complexity for developers.

TfL needs to ensure effective joint working between its property development and operational and technical staff, to minimise and resolve early the inevitable frictions which will arise for each scheme.

TfL and the Mayor should consider a more rapid approach to procurement on a first set of sites, to speed up initial delivery.”

Notes to editors

Sian Berry AM, Chair of the Housing Committee, is available for interviews. Please see contact details below.

As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.

For media enquiries, please contact Alison Bell on 020 7983 4228. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.